Personal Services

Established in 2001, Michael Lewin Solicitors has steadily grown from a local Leeds solicitors to a large nationwide practice from its office in North Leeds, Yorkshire. When our Founder, Michael Lewin, first started the law firm, he created it to provide the best legal service and the very best in client care...

Noise And The Nightclub Worker

Noise And The Nightclub Worker

Loud music and noise are seen as essential part of the events industry. This inevitably, will lead employees working within these sectors to be at a significant risk of developing permanent hearing problems. How are the employers within the Entertainment sector working to protect the health and safety of their employees?

In a study published in the International Journal of Noise & Health, a Dublin researcher analyzed noise from two nightclub employees at a number of different nightclubs in Ireland. A Sound level meter was placed at the bar closest to the dance floor and a dosimeter was attached to the shirt of each participant. It was found that the average daily noise exposure of the participants working 20 hours per week was 92 decibels.

Over time, noise exposure greater than 85 decibels for eight hours can lead to permanent hearing loss. Work safety laws in the European Union require hearing protection to be provided to workers exposed to more than 85 decibels, only two clubs in the study provided this protection and only one required employees to wear the protection.

A number of studies have developed methods which can be adopted to protect bar workers from noise. Further, a number of research papers have also suggested methods which, if adopted, may assist in the control of exposure levels:

Studies suggest that a number of loudspeakers should be used to ensure that the level is uniformly distributed over the Dance floor and to prevent ‘hot spots’ where excessively high levels may occur close to speakers. Loudspeakers should be directional and located so that they concentrate their radiation onto the dance floor and away from the staff working locations. Staffs work stations / areas should also be positioned away from the dance floor.

Staff / Job rotation could also be used to limit the time employees are working in the excessively noisy areas. The nightclub / bar could be achieved by zoning the club into a number of areas depending on the sound pressure level. The daily noise exposure of employees is influenced by the amount of time spent in the noisy areas and it is therefore imperative that this is countered by employees spending time in the quieter zones of the nightclub.

Hearing conservation programmes can also be developed for employees within clubs. These could include routine audiometry, to conduct a noise assessment, notify employees of the risk to their hearing, supply hearing protection and training on their use and conduct regular sound level measurements.

In another survey commissioned to look into the noise of workers at live concerts, it was found that in general personnel employed in the live entertainment industry are exposed to noise levels above the upper exposure action level. And as such should be provided and enforced to wear hearing protection.

If you have been working in a nightclub / bar / live entertainment industry and you now find that your hearing is much worse than others your age. You are having to ask people to repeat or can’t follow conversations with your friends it could be as a result of your work. If you want to look to investigate this further please contact us today. There are strict time limits in making claims and you should look to make a claim as soon as you are aware of the potential link with your work.